Subjects and topics we discuss

What topics do we discuss with clients? The simplest answer is: If it’s important to you, it’s important to us. Life can feel challenging and complicated. If people experience it, we discuss it. With that said, sometimes lists can be helpful. Some of the more common topics people discuss include:

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Relational conflict

• Burnout

• Grief and loss

• Trauma

• Self-image and identity

• Family conflict

• Life changes and transitions

• Addictive behavior

If your particular interest isn’t listed here, it’s still important. We understand life is not neatly categorized. Our personal concerns do not fit neatly into boxes – and that’s OK.

Play Therapy

Play therapy is usually practiced with children and youth. Using nonverbal approaches, it facilitates communication when traditional counseling methods are unlikely to yield information. For example, most elementary children would have difficulty responding to queries such as, “Tell me how you feel.” However, they are able to express these ideas through art, games or play-acting.

Therapy involves observing a child at play, in both directed and non-directed activities. A counselor observes:

• How does the child play when a parent is observing? When a parent is not?

• What kind of stories does a child want to hear? Or tell?

Play therapy uses activities including creative visualization, role-playing, music and free-play with toys to understand children and the challenges they’re experiencing.

The therapist’s communication with parents is a key part of this process.

This video helps explain how play therapy works